Dreaming On
by Carrie153
Summary: Being a girl who loves basketball with a passion is a hard life for Masami Fujika. Coming back to Japan from America, she's allowed to join the basketball team at Seirin High only after striking a deal with her demanding father. And honestly, Masami's not an ordinary girl. She easily led her team in America to victory; will she be able to make Seirin Japan's #1 team? T for language
1. Recruitment Begins

"Rugby! Swimming! You have to play baseball! Come join our club!" I heard the shouts of others trying to get more members to join their clubs. I pulled my baseball cap down lower, covering my cherry blossom-colored eyes. My mid-back baby pink hair was tied into a pony-tail that hung out of the hole on the back of my cap. I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, trying not to stand out. I was a girl of average height at 5'5". My phone was tucked in the back pocket of my skinny jeans, and my ankle high boots silently glided over the stoned courtyard. I technically wasn't a student here yet, since I had just turned in my transfer forms in yesterday with my otōsan. I was here just checking out the clubs Seirin High offered. I continued to stroll around, straining my ears to hear those magical words that I wanted to hear.

"Basketball! Basketball! How would you like to join the basketball team?" A brown-haired second-year shouted out, waving a flyer. My ears perked up eagerly. I looked around, finding the source. He was standing with two other tall students with black hair. _They must be second-years since they're trying to recruit more members. _

My feet began to walk by themselves, leading me towards my passion. I heard them as I got closer.

"You need to say it like this: 'new kids, join basketball. The basketball club needs some serious help!'" The one in the middle laughed jokingly. The brown-haired boy's face fell.

"I've had enough of you jokes, Izuki."

The tall second-year on the end silently smiled, holding out flyers. Without thinking, I found myself in front of them.

Ah! Would you like a flyer for the basketball club?" The brown-haired one asked, handing me one. I lifted the bill of my cap so that my eyes met his brown ones. I shyly smiled, taking it from his hand before pulling my cap down again, disappearing from their sights.

* * *

**(3rdPerson POV)**

"Woah, did that guy just take a flyer?" Izuki asked Koganei, who nodded.

"I don't think that was a guy, Izuki…" he replied slowly. Mitobe raised an eyebrow and pointed at the disappearing figure. Koganei vigorously nodded his head, "Yeah, that person!"

* * *

"I'm home, otōsan!" I called out, walking into the living room. My dad appeared from the kitchen.

"Did you join the music club yet? What about dance?" That was the first thing he asked. Not 'did you find any interesting clubs? How was your day?' Just 'did you join the music club yet' and 'what about dance'. I sighed irritably.

"No, not yet otōsan. I don't think they have a music club here." _But they do have basketball…_ I climbed stairs up to my room, taking off my hoodie and jeans, changing into a basketball uniform from my old middle school in America. I headed into the room next to mine – the practice room. In the spacious room sat a grand piano and a bookshelf full of music. A desk was next to the bookshelf and blank music scores scattered over the desk. I grabbed a couple sheets of the blank scores and a pencil, sitting down at the piano bench. My long fingers hovered over the polished keys before I gently placed my hands familiarly on them. I pressed down on the piano keys, closing my eyes, and music flowed out from underneath my fingertips, _River Flows in You._ The emotions poured out of me, changing the romantic feel of the music to something of sorrow and longing. What I longed for, I didn't know. I just wanted to change the music.

After the song ended, I picked up my pencil and scratched music notes onto the once blank paper. It was a hobby for me to write my own music, creating whatever I felt like. I decided to play one of my favorite pieces, _Wait for You_, singing in tune with the piano.

"_I never felt nothing in the world like this before_

_Now I'm missing you and I'm whishing_

_You would come back through my door, ooh._

_Why did you have to go?_

_So baby I will wait for you_

_Cause I don't know what else I can do_

_Don't tell me I ran out of time."_

I continued to sing passionately, fingers gliding over the keys effortlessly. Finally hitting the last key, I let the sound echo through the room. _I'll do whatever it takes to play basketball._ After all, my father and I made a deal: as long as I either danced or joined the music clubs at school, I could play basketball as long as I didn't damage my legs or fingers. I had agreed to his bargain.

I went back to my room and grabbed my basketball, climbing out the window to the tree that stood outside my room. Otōsan really didn't want me to play, so I would always avoid him on my way out so he wouldn't complain about my sport.

I walked around the block, searching for a basketball court and I finally found one unoccupied. I smiled, running onto the court warming up with my three-pointers and hook shots. I didn't even notice the group of high-schoolers watching me until I heard their voices.

"Is that a girl playing basketball? Wow, she's pretty good. Let's see if we can play with her." They headed over to me, and I looked over.

"…" I waited for them to say something.

"Eto… mind if we play with you?" My eyes widened in surprise – among the five of them were three of the guys that I saw earlier today from school handing out flyers.

"Uh… s-sure."

"Mitobe and Izuki are with me," the guy with glasses said. "Koganei and Tsuchida are with you, is that okay?" he asked. I nodded my head, not caring either way.

"I'm Masami Fujika." I introduced.

"Satoshi Tsuchida and Shinji Koganei." They smiled at me. I allowed one side of my mouth turn up into a half-smile. _Let's play._

* * *

In twenty minutes, the six of us were panting. I had the ball and the guy with glasses, Junpei Hyūga, was blocking me. My other two teammates were being guarded. I dribbled the ball, faking for the left but then twisting in a circle to the right. I broke through his defence and headed straight for the hoop. I wasn't tall enough to dunk, but I had a trick up my sleeves (or lack thereof…): a fade away. I loved doing it because the shots always went in, and since my throws were formless, nobody could block it. I jumped up, leaning back until my body was parallel with the ground before letting the ball roll off my fingertips. It was a high arc. Hyūga jumped for it, missing the ball by a couple of centimetres. I could see the surprise and disbelief on his face. SWOOSH. Nothing but the net. I grinned, dragging my arm across my forehead, wiping the sweat off.

"That was awesome, Fujika-san!" Tsuchida and Koganei high-fived me. 32 – 28, we were winning. I glanced at my watch, 6:02.

"Ah, shoot!" I suddenly cried out. The five of them looked at me startled. "Sorry, I have to go now! Nice game you guys!" Hyūga tossed my ball back and I caught it mid-jump, landing gracefully on my feet.

"Shit, shit, shit." I was muttering. "Hitmoi-sensei is going to kill me… Argh!" I sprinted off back towards my house, leaving my new acquaintances mystified. I grabbed my pointe shoes and my ballet leotard, stuffing them in my duffel bag, running towards the ballet studio where I attended. As expected, I was punished with having to perform in front of the class and got criticized by Hitomi-sensei.

We were practicing for our performance in six months. We only perform two to four different plays every year, putting on numerous encores. This time, we were rehearsing for our big play, "The Willoughby's Lullaby," a level five out of six in difficultly. I was competing with a fellow friend from the studio for the lead role of the water nymph Lillian.

* * *

After a gruelling two hour training, I trudged home, wearing an oversized jacket over my leotard and changing my pointe shoes to sneakers.

"Tō-san, I'm back!" I hurried into my bathroom, taking a shower.

During dinner, it was silent as always, with the exception of making small talks. I placed my plate in the sink, heading back up to my room after I was finished. _I'll check out the basketball club tomorrow after school_.

* * *

**Please leave reviews so I know what you guys think of this! I own none of Kuroko no Basket, except for my OC! :)**


	2. Surprise Us, Masami

I found the gym quicker than I had anticipated. During homeroom, I had to introduce myself in 1-A where the population in the class was 99% boys. I sighed. _Whatever…_

It was empty to my advantage. I found a rack of basketballs and I began shooting hoops, doing one-man alley oops, and practicing my lay-ups with my hair up. After ten minutes of practicing, I felt warmed up.

"Guess it can't be helped," I muttered. I took my mp3 player out from underneath my skirt – I was wearing spats underneath – and placed the earbuds in my ear. I searched for "The Willoughby's Lullaby" and played the song. The music softly whispered in my ears. I closed my eyes and kicked my indoor shoes off, holding on to a basketball. I began to dance. I leapt into the air, tossing the ball up. I landed gently on the gym floor, lifting a leg up while bending backwards slowly. My timing when I caught the ball as impeccable. I continued to dance until the song slowly was about to come to the end; until I was near the hoop did I stop dancing. The song finished just like a buzzer, signalling the end. It was then that I jumped into the air, rushing past the basket, switching the ball from my right hand to my left and back to my right, tossing it behind me, aimed for the net. SWISH. I landed, crouching on the ground, panting. I stood back up, taking the earbuds out, I moaned, "Wahh, I need to perfect that! Hitomi-sensei will kill me if she found out that I danced while playing basketball!" I picked the basketball up, placing it back on the rack.

I turned around, about to leave when I saw a herd of boys staring at me. Ten boys and one girl to be exact. My face paled as I stood froze in my spot.

"Ano… you guys didn't happen to see what I was doing, right?" I asked nervously. Speechless, they all nodded their heads. "All of it or just now?"

"All of it," the girl piped up.

"Ehh? You're that girl from yesterday!" One of the guys shouted. I searched for the source of the voice and once again found the boy with brown hair from yesterday's recruitment at school and at the basketball court, Koganei. I saw Mitobe, Hyūga, Izuki, and Tsuchida. I spiritually died on the inside. _This is so not happening to me._

"Who do you think you are?" A voice thundered. "Dancing is different from basketball, so don't mix the two together." I saw a tall, red-haired guy shooting daggers from his eyes at me. _What the hell?_

"Come join our basketball team. We definitely need a spunky girl like you!" The girl interjected, ignoring the red-head.

"Oi, Riko!" _So that was her name. _"We can't just let a girl on the team!"

"Baka Kagami! Bakagami!" She turned around and punched him in the stomach. _Kagami, eh? This will be fun_. "Come back here afterschool!

* * *

Once I got back to class after the encounter during lunch, I found out that I was in the same class as the blue-haired boy from earlier who always stuck close to Kagami. And not to mention, I was only a couple of seats away from Kagami.

* * *

"All the first-years are here, Coach!" Hyūga called out. Turns out that the girl was the coach, and Hyūga was the captain. Everyone was introduced yesterday after the opening ceremony. Once again, I stood in front of everyone, introducing myself. I heard them whispering among themselves concerning about my abilities due to my gender. Hyūga and Izuki ended up punching the back of their heads.

"You're wrong," they both said. "She's actually really good. You'll see."

"First years against second years!" Riko shouted, tossing blue and yellow jerseys out.

"Ano… I would make the teams uneven, Riko-chan," I reminded her. Realization dawned on her.

"Okay, Masami-chan," Riko placed a finger on her chin, thinking. "That's it! Kagami! You sit down and let Masami-chan pleay!" Disbelief was etched all over his face. I smirked, amused.

"What the hell?!" Kagmi roared. I could almost see the flames in his eyes. Riko punched his side, causing him to cringe before tossing me the yellow jersey. I grinned, slipping it on.

"Kuroko-kun, what is your position?" I suddenly asked the blue-haired boy standing next to me.

"Ehh? Kuroko is here?!" Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda jumped to the side even though they were in front of me and Kuroko. "Masaka! (no way!)" I stared at them quizzically.

"Do you guys ignore your own teammate?" Appalled at how they treated their own teammate, I shook my head.

"You noticed me?"

I turned, facing Kuroko. "Erm… was I not supposed to?"

He shook his head, a small smile appearing.

* * *

"Fukuda!" I shouted, running towards the basket. Mitobe ran alongside me, trying to guard me. My light pink eyes met his grey ones. He saw the determined gaze and decided to take a chance. He forcefully hit the ball in my direction, bouncing high into the air. With Mitobe's height he could have gotten the ball easily, but I was smaller and more agile. I ducked under his arms, running at full speed before jumping into the air. Thanks to my ballet, I rose higher than Mitobe, snatching the ball before his hands got to it. They all stared at me in awe, but I ignored them, going straight for my goal. I was too into the game to care that they all stared at me. Kuroko was the only one who wasn't fazed by my jump, so naturally, he ran up to the basket with me. They all came back to their senses fast. Hyūga suddenly appeared in front of me, trying to snatch the ball from my hands. I twisted around, from right to left, my sneakers squeaking on the polished floor. Hyūga immediately countered it, but I switched the ball from my right hand to my left and back to the right, tricking him. I decided to pull off the same trick they saw earlier from my dance. I rushed past Hyūga, jumping in the air once I was slightly past the basket, tossing the ball into a high arc behind me. SWISH.

"_Tweet!"_ Riko's whistle tweeted, signalling another two points was earned. "Seconds-years 48; first-years 56! Time!"

"Wahh! Fujika-san, you were great!" Everyone instantly came over to me, praising me. I slightly blushed, a bit embarrassed about receiving so much attention.

"Ano…just call me Masami."

"Masami-chan!" They eagerly shouted my first name out. "In exchange, I'm not going to use honorifics with your names, ne? It's too much of a hassle to use honorifics, especially during games." I smiled.

* * *

**(3****rd****Person POV)**

"Riko, what do you think of her?" Hyūga nodded his head in the direction of the new girl on the team. He had to admit, she was pretty talented.

"Her numbers are incredibly high. A bit higher than Kagami's right now. She'll definitely surpass everyone one day, without a doubt. Maybe even up to the level of the Generation of Miracles," Riko whispered. But there was something strange about the way how Masami played. Riko couldn't figure out whether if it was because of Masami being a dancer, her form, or her skills that was making Riko feel uneasy.


	3. Broken Promise

"Ba-kagami! Pass the damn ball!" I shouted, running down the court, thirty feet away from him. I had already figure out Kuroko's talent of misdirection from last week, when we played first-years against the second-years. Kagami snarled, twisting around and tossing the ball to Kuroko without missing a beat. The blue-haired boy aimed his misdirection towards me. I caught it, dribbling down the court. Mitobe and Koganei rushed to block me. _Crossover to left, fake, body twist to the right, dribble, and fade away._ I smiled; my body began to level itself parallel to the ground. _Shoot._

"Jump, Mitobe!" Hyūga shouted. Mitobe leaped, his fingertips scraping the ball. _Aw shit!_ I knew it was going to rebound, so I ran towards the ball that hit the rim of the basket. Taking my ballet skills into account, the ball was almost in the palm of my hands. Two other hands reached up for the ball, completely overlapping me. Koganei and Kawahara both smacked the ball away from my grasp. But their center gravity wasn't balanced when the three of us were fought for the ball, which caused us to tumble on top of each other. I landed on top of Koganei's back, while Kawahara landed on my leg. My leg felt like it was on fire, more specifically, my ankle did. _Shit, please tell me that my leg is alright. _I began to panic.

"Kawahara, get off my leg!" I tried to wiggle my foot out. He grudgingly got up, and I slid off Koganei.

"Masami-chan! Daijōbu?" Riko quickly ran towards me. She was the only one who I told my bargain with my dad to. I saw worry etched over her face. Kuroko helped me up and a twinge in my ankle caused me to gasp.

"Bakas! Help her over to the bench! Now!" Being the responsible captain he was, Hyūga carried me to the bench. Riko kneeled down, taking my shoes and socks off. She rolled my left foot – nothing; rolled the right – I screamed in pain, gripping the metal bench.

"Oh no," she whispered.

"It's not serious, right? Please tell me it's not serious." Everyone crowded around the two of us.

"Ne, Coach, is Fujika going to be alright?"

"You're sitting on the bench for the remainder of the practice. Don't do anything tonight, or tomorrow. You need to rest your ankle." Riko's face stayed grim.

"Riko-chan, it's not broken, right?" I looked at her with a glimmer of hope on my face.

"It's a sprain for sure. It isn't broken, Masami-chan, but don't go to ballet if you have it tonight." My face fell. _It's definitely a good thing ballet was cancelled for tonight._ I sighed, agreeing to Riko's condition. After practice finally ended, Riko had placed Kagami and Kuroko in charge of getting me home.

* * *

It was so embarrassing that I wanted to die.

I was on Kagami's back, with his arms around my thighs. I didn't bother changing out of my jersey and basketball shorts. Kuroko carried my school bag and my shoes, and Kagami's bag too.

"Let's stop by Maji Burgers. I'm hungry from carrying this heavy luggage." Kagami broke the silence. I unwrapped an arm around his neck and slapped his head lightly.

"You'll never get a girlfriend if you call them 'heavy' or 'luggage'." The three of us continued in silence until we finally reached the fast food restaurant.

All eyes were on the three of us – a blue-haired boy carrying three school bags and a pair of shoes; a tall, scary-looking red-hair carrying a small, shoeless, pink-haired girl on his back. Kagami walked over to an empty booth and sat down on the edge, letting me scoot off his back before getting into line with Kuroko. I sighed, propping my injured foot on the seat in front of me.

"We got you a burger and a chocolate milk shake." Kuroko slid in the seat across from me and Kagami. I pulled my foot off the seat and smiled.

"I haven't had a burger or a shake in years! Thanks!" I unwrapped the burger and bit into it. "Mhmm!"

"Are you serious? You haven't had either one in years?" Kagami asked, surprised.

"Yeah, for about ten years." I continued to chew my delicious burger.

"That reminds me, Fujika-san, what _do _you do?" Kuroko inquired with a slight interest in his voice.

"Just call me Masami outside of practice. I get tired of people calling my surname every day." I rolled my eyes. "I dance and play the piano."

"That's why your hands reminded me of Midorima-kun." Kuroko sipped on his milk shake. "Can you pay the piano for us?"

"Tonight?"

Kuroko nodded his head.

"Fine, but Kagami has to hurry up and eat. It's already 8:20." I crinkled the wrapped and placed it in my empty cup. Kuroko and I watched in fascination as Kagami shoved his twentieth and last burger into his mouth. He stood up, carrying his tray and my trash to the garbage and dumping it with Kuroko following him. He came back and motioned for me to get on his back again.

* * *

"Wow, your place is big." They both walked into the house with me.

"Otōsan, tadaima! I brought my friends!" I hobbled into the house, praying that my dad wouldn't see me. No such luck – he was sitting in the living room. He took one look at my ankle and became livid.

"Did I not say that you couldn't injure yourself?!" He thundered, ignoring Kuroko and Kagami who were standing behind me. "And now look at yourself! You broke our deal, so you have to quit the basketball team now!" My face paled.

"Now look here, you bastard," Kagami growled. Finally realizing that I brought friends over, my dad glared at me before stomping off into the kitchen. I forced a smile on my face befor turning around.

"Come on up! I'll play for you guys!" They both noticed the flight of stairs, making the red-head sigh. He picked me up princess-style and walked up the stairs with Kuroko in the lead.

I showed them the music room. Kagami set me down on my feet and I hopped over to the piano bench. I sat down and motioned for them to sit on the ground. I closed my eyes, slowly breathing in. My fingers flexed over the smooth piano keys. Instead of using my right foot for the pedals, I had to switch to my left. My fingers gently pressed the keys down, playing a soft melody, _Kiss the Rain_. My fingers slowly danced over the keys – my right hand over the octave keys, creating the soft patter of rain drops before moving back down to the middle. It was slow and beautiful. I poured my heart out onto the keys, a soft and serene expression on my face as the moon shone through the window. Hitting the last note, I let the sound echo through the room. It was silent as I played another song, this time singing to it - _Ichiban no Takaramono._

"_Suso ga nureta nara (_If the tips of my clothes get wet_)_

_Kawaku no mateba ii (_Then I should wait for them to dry_)_

_Mizuoto wo tatete haneta (_Water bounced off with a sound_)_

_Kimi ga oshiete kuretan da, mou kowakunai (_You taught me so much, I'm not scared anymore_)_

_Nigitte ite kureta kono te o hanasanakya dame da (_I have to let go of your hands that are holding me_)_

_Hitori de mo yuku yo, tatoe tsurakute mo (_Even if I'm alone, I'll go on, even if it hurts_)_

_Minna de mita yume wa kanarazu motteku yo _(I'll never forget the dream I shared with all of you_)_

_Minna to ga ii na, minna to ga yokatta (_I'm glad to be with everyone, I'm glad to have been with everyone_)"_

I sang out with a pure and light voice that matched the piano. When I was finished, they both looked at me with awe.

Wow, Masami-chan," Kuroko breathed out. It was the first time that I saw a happy and awestruck expression on Kuroko's emotionless face. Kagami was lying on the ground with his eyes closed, "That wasn't too bad." I laughed, surprising the both of them.

"You guys can come back anytime you want if you want to listen to me play." They both stood up and I watched them leave from the window. They turned around and waved. I smiled until they were out of sight. I left the window open as I began to play the piano well into midnight. And just for the heck of it, I began to play one of my favorite pop songs, _"Maji Love 2000%"_

"_Omatase shimashita_

_Hoshi o yozora _

_Ai wa shooting star!"_

* * *

**_Ichiban no Takaramono_ - is a song from Angel Beats, an anime.**

**_Maji Love 2000%_ - is also from an anime, called Uta no Prince-Sama Maji Love 2000%**


	4. I'm a Boy?

"One two three, and a four five six, come on ladies!" Hitomi-sensei continued to clap her hands, keeping the tempo going. Seji-chan and I were practicing under Hitomi-sensei's watchful eye as the other dancers sat against the wall admiring us. Seji and I both sauted* into the air with a graceful arc, our arms outstretched into second position. We both landed gently into a pile*, before quickly changing into a revele*, taking quick and light steps on our toes. _I-itai! _I couldn't cringe or make pained expressions even though my ankle was still sore. I had to make ballet seem graceful, easy, and flawless. _Unlike basketball…_ I kept my concentration on the movements since I really wanted the lead role. We continued to dance until Seji faltered on a misstep.

"Okay, stop!" Hitomi-sensei demanded. We both froze, scared. "Seji, watch your steps! Masami, go take a break." Grateful, I wanted to run and sit down as fast as I could, but I knew that Hitomi was watching, so I quickly glided gracefully towards the wall. The moment she turned her attention back to Seji, I slumped down. _Finally!_ The girls next to me giggled and I smiled.

* * *

"Ne, Fujika-chan, how are your thighs and calves so thin? Ours are so bulky and muscular. I'm really jealous!" One of the girls whined. I snorted.

"It's because I'm built like this. Just stretch and exercise more often, and they'll slim down or get toned." I tossed my school uniform into my duffel bag. I zipped up my oversized jacket over my leotard and leggings, too tired to change. I untied my hair from the bun and let it flow down my back. I sighed, already annoyed with my pin-straight hair being so long. Dragging a comb through my thick locks took too much time so I tied it up in a pony-tail, tugged my baseball cap on my head and pulled my hair through the hole in the back. I slipped my feet into my sneakers and headed out with my basketball in hand. I had to get some practice time in before I went home.

_Thank goodness no one is here to see me dressed like this. _I took my cap off and placed it next to my bag on the bench. Thump. Thump. The sound of the basketball bouncing off the ground echoed through the night. _Crossover, figure eight, fake, 360° turn and…shoot! _The ball swished into the net easily. I sighed, not feeling challenged at all made me a bit weary.

"Kami, please give me an opponent!" I shouted into the night. A beat later, I heard someone laughing. I whirled around to find a tall, handsome blonde leaning against the metal chain-linked fence. He was also wearing a school uniform.

"Who are you?" I asked suspiciously. He stopped laughing and stared at me in surprise.

"You don't know who I am?"

"Ano… should I?" I scratched the side of my head, confused. _Do I know him? No… Should I know him? Erm…_ "Sorry?"

He sighed dramatically. "I'm Kise. Kise Ryōta. Do you recognize me know?" He asked full of confidence.

"Oh! You're Kise-kun!" I faked gushed. His face expressed happiness. Too bad I was going to shoot it down. "I'm just kidding. I really don't know who you are." His face fell, and I thought I was waterfalls gushing from his eyes. "Ano…"

"Oh kami, there's actually a person inn Japan who doesn't know who I am!" He cried out. "I'm a famous and popular model, Kise Ryōta!" Getting ticked off on his condescending attitude, I cut his parade short.

"So, do you want to play with me or not?" I demanded. A smirk appeared on his face.

"Of course. I'm really good, so you should watch out…" He trailed off.

"Fujika Masami."

"Watch out for me, Fujika-chan!" I rolled my eyes, dribbling the ball. He was defending the hoop. _He's 6'2" (189cm) and looks like he can run fast. Long arms, long legs. He might be good for me to practice with._ I continued to dribble, not moving. Suddenly I ran for the left, causing him to instinctively reach for the left. I faked to the left before spinning to the right, breaking past him. He caught up to me quick, his golden eyes hardening in seriousness. I lunged for the right, crossing the ball over to my right hand, just out of his reach. He went for my right hand this time, but I crossed over to the left, dodging from his grasp. _Lay-up!_ SWISH. I smiled, glad to hear the swishing of the net.

"Not bad, Fujika-chan!" His cheerful voice called out. He took me by surprise – he copied my movements. _That was the same exact move that I just used! But he fumbled at the left-handed lay-up… _He turned around, smirking.

"How was that?" Kise smiled.

"You fumbled at the left-handed lay-up." I stated.

"Ehh?! But I can copy anyone's moves perfectly! Like, perfect!" Kise whined. _I knew something was off… so that's his technique._ I smiled.

The game continued well on for an hour. 67 – 67. We were both tied and exhausted, lying on the ground.

"Aww man, it's already 9:20!" I grabbed the basketball that was next to me and grudgingly got up. I stuffed it in my bag along with my cap. Hoisting the duffel bag over my shoulder, I was already about to leave when I turned around. "Thanks for the good game, Kise-kun! See you later!"

* * *

"Min-na! I have good, no, GREAT news!" Riko skipped over, humming a happy, tuneless tune.

"Oh no." Hyūga whispered, his face going pale. I looked around, slinging the ball so that it rested against my hip. All the second-years' faces went pale too. Us first-years looked around, confused.

"Captain, what's happening?" Kagami asked.

"She found us a really strong opponent for our upcoming practice match."

"We're going to play against Kaijō High!" Riko exclaimed happily. I swear, I thought I saw weird flowers popping up behind her – Sunflowers? Poppies? "Oh, and Masami-chan, you have to dress as a boy."

"What?!" I shrieked. "How do you expect me to pull that off?" I motioned at my body, which was obviously like a girl's, breasts and everything. I could see Riko looking at her own body, with her cheeks slightly pink.

"Bind your chest if you have to. Get a wig too, so that you won't have to cut your hair. Your uniform is getting altered right now, so you'll have it tomorrow." Riko suggested. The boys blushed, looking anywhere but me the moment Riko mentioned me binding my B-cups.

"Find," I sighed.

That was how I ended up like THIS…

* * *

***sauted - a jump when you leave the ground by jumping off of both feet at the same time, and you land on both feet at the same time.**

***pile - a bending move in ballet**

***revele - to rise **

**You guys should definitely leave some reviews for me :) I need to feel motivated, ya know? ;) Haha, jk. No but seriously, leaving some reviews would definitely help me :D**


	5. The First Step to Victory

"D-did you cut your h-hair, Masami-chan?" Riko whispered, pointing to my shoulder length hair. I twirled it with my fingers.

"Oh, this? Yeah, that way I can put a wig on easier." Everyone stared at me in shock.

"But hair is a woman's pride!" Izuki cried out, holding his arms open as if to comfort me.

"People might think that you're gay, Izuki," I retorted. We were on the bus ride to Kaijō High. I dug around in my duffel bag until I found a dark pink wig with a short boyish hair style. I flipped my hair upside-down, stuffing the wig on.

"How's that?" I asked, ruffling the short hair. Riko bursted into laughter, attracting the other passengers' attentions.

"You look like a cute boy, with girly features!" She giggled. I puffed my cheeks out, crossing my arms over my chest.

"But I look like a guy, right?" I asked the others. They continued to stare at me, a light pink color dusting their cheeks.

"Fujika still looks like a girl though. Can we pull this off?" Koganei whispered, earning a punch from Hyūga.

"Baka! You have to think positively!" He commanded. _This better work… I even cut six freakin' inches of my hair._

* * *

We were playing on half a court. Half. Of. A. Court. Well, that was before Kagami broke the hoop. So now we were moved on to a full court with Kise playing. It was already the second quarter, and I was still benched. Annoyed and eager to play, I kept bouncing my feet. Riko glared at me before turning her attention back to the game. _SMACK_. Everyone froze, gasping. I snapped my attention to the court and I felt the insides of my stomach churn.

"Kuroko!" Riko screamed. Kise's face turned pale.

"Kurokocchi! I'm really sorry!" We heard him apologizing to the bleeding Kuroko. I dug through my bag and found a first-aid kit. Kagami had brought him over to the bench and I began to treat his wound.

I felt a hand grip my shoulder.

"Masami-chan," Riko whispered, "you're going in. Work with Kagami." I nodded my head and jogged onto the court.

* * *

"Teme!" Hayakawa Mitsuhiro, from Kaijo High, growled out. I had stolen the ball from him and I was running towards the basket, ready for my three-pointer. _Did he just call me 'shit'?!_ My face contorted into anger.

"He's going for a three-pointer! Get the ball!" Kasamatsu yelled, running towards me at full force. I remained calm but angry, knowing that my teammates would become my screen. I jumped up, and with a flick of my wrists, the ball soared in the air. Kobori, being 6'4" tall, jumped for the ball, trying to discontinue the ball's path. But I smirked, knowing that nobody could touch my balls once they were in an arc.

"Defend the basket, bakas!" Kasamatsu ran for the basket, reaching an arm out as if to stop it.

"Not while I'm here!" Kagami's footsteps pounded on the floor, creating mini-earthquakes. I rolled my eyes, running a hand through my hair. SWISH. _Nothing but the net…_ I headed back towards my teammates, who were getting back into formation. I continued to scratch at my wig, feeling its discomfort.

"Ne, Mitobe, is my…uh… hair alright?" I asked the silent giant. He looked down with a concerned look and straightened out the flying hair. I had made sure to secure the wig onto my head with bobby pins and hair clips. Mitobe flashed a smile and a thumbs-up sign, signalling my 'okay' appearance.

"Oi, Kagami! Get your ass moving!" Hyūga shouted. Mitobe and I turned our attention back to the game, where Kagami, Izuki, and Hyūga ran down the court. The ball was in Kagami's hands and three Kaijō High members began to tag him down. I sighed and ran down near Kagami, waving my hands. He forcefully bounced the ball in my direction, causing me to grunt as the ball's weight smacked my palms against the rough surface. I dribbled the orange sphere down the court, easily dodging the taller opponents. I went for a lay-up, listening for the swishing of the net.

"TWEET!" The referee blew his whistle. "Seirin 90, Kaijō 91!"

"Wahh! A point difference! Come on, guys!" Riko and the others cheered from the bench. Hyūga smiled at me and then at the others before gently ruffling my hair.

"You're doing great, Masami-chan." I pouted at him for treating me like a child. "Let's win this." The pouted faded off my face, with a determined grin replacing it.

"Hai!"

* * *

"We won! Ahahaha! I can't believe we won!" Riko manically laughed all the way to the restaurant. I sighed, annoyed with her weird laugh. Sneaking a glance back at Kuroko, I noticed his calm demeanor that betrayed no emotions. But I knew that he was feeling a bit guilty for not playing in the second half. Kagami noticed it too, so we both slowed down, waiting for Kuroko.

"Oi, Kuroko." Kagami's deep voice rumbled, catching Kuroko's attention.

"How's your forehead?" I asked, nodding my chin towards his bandaged head.

"It's fine. Thank you for asking." Silence. _Uh…_

"Steak! I think we found a way to eat without paying, minna!" Riko shouted with glee. I swore that everyone froze and had sweat sheen on their foreheads, me included.

"Ano… Riko?" Hyūga nervously called her name out. She thrusted a finger towards the steak house, smiling.

"Free food! Wow!" Koganei, Kagami, Kawahara and Fukuda shouted happily. Kuroko and I glanced at each other, rolling our eyes. I giggled and grabbed Kuroko's hand, pulling him towards the others.

* * *

"What a… monster." Everyone stared at Kagami who was stuffing his face with the remains of everyone's steaks. I continued to nibble on mine, which was already two-thirds gone..

"Wahh, Masami-chan, how can you continue to eat like that with a monster sitting next to you?!" Riko cried out. Everyone turned their glances towards me.

"Huh?" I speared another neatly cut cube of steak with my fork before it disappeared into my mouth. "Can't let good food go to waste now, can we Riko-chan?" I sighed, popping another piece into the dark abyss. "Mhmm…."

"Ughh…" Everyone moaned in response to my delightful chewing.

"DONE EATING!"

"I feel sick from watching Kagami eat those…"

"Me… too…"

"How abnormal…"

* * *

"Practice tomorrow afterschool again, minna!" Riko shouted waving her hands goodbye before disappearing with Hyūga towards their houses.

"I'm off this way," I said pointing to the right.

"Bye, Masami-chan!" The remaining members called out behind me. I lifted a hand in response and walked off. _Already using my first name? Pfft._ I silently laughed, revealing a small smile. _Mā ī._

Today was a good day after all – we had won in a practice match against Kaijō High, against a Generation of Miracle player; I got off without anyone figuring my identity out; and I didn't get injured, meaning I could continue to play considering the scare that Kagami gave my father. I silently slipped into the house at 10pm; avoiding my father was a plus. I quickly showered and flopped onto my bed. Sleep overtook me within minutes.

_I'll do whatever it takes to win. Just wait for me, onii-san. Wait a little longer for me to complete your dream._ I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**Sorry I haven't updated in days! School just started three days ago and I'm already losing sleep cause of the insane amount of homework! Argh! **

**Anyways, it seems like my viewers are disappearing and I'm not getting reviews... :( I'm crying over here cause of the loneliness! Spread the love and leave reviews for me! :D 3**


	6. My Promise to You

_"Ne, onii-san, teach me basetball! I wanna play like you!" I exclaimed eagerly up at my older brother of four years. He smiled down at me, chuckling while ruffling my pink hair. His fiery red hair rustled in the gentle breeze, like a wild fire dancing. _

_ "Hai, hai, Masami. Hold the basketball like this. Yup! Now, imagine that it's like a leaf in the wind. Let the wind carry the leaf towards your goal, Masami." Onii-san's warm hands covered mine as he showed me how to hold the ball. With a flick of our wrists, the ball soared in the air, hitting the backboard before dropping into the net._

_ "Wahh! Onii-san is so cool!" I grinned, showing him my cheeky four-year-old smile. "Teach me more!"_

[Jump forward to four years. Masami in 3rd grade and Kaname-nii in 7th grade]

_"Go, onii-san, go!" I jumped up and down on the ground cheering him on. He was playing basketball with his friends on the court at the park. With a new burst of energy, Kaname snatched the ball away from his friend and dribbled down to the net before making a three-pointer._

_ "What's the score, Masami-chan?" Kaname's friends shouted. They were playing 3v3. _

_ "34 to 28! Onii-san's team is winning by…" I quickly counted on my fingers, "6 points!" He and his friends chuckled at me. _

_ "Oi, Masami-chan, you're already eight! You're not allowed to count on your fingers!" One of them shouted, laughing. I pouted._

_ "Don't be a bully, Saki-kun!" I yelled back. Kaname laughed, slapping his knee. "Onii-san! I wanna play too!"I ran out on to the court, grabbing hold of his shirt._

_ "Fine," he sighed. "Saki, go over to Hiro's side." Saki playfully saluted and went to join the other side. Kaname glanced at me. "Have you been practicing, Masami?" I nodded my head vigorously. _

_ "Hai! I'll show you how good I have gotten, onii-san!" I eagerly exclaimed. I stood to the right of Kaname, being his center since he was the point guard._

_That was how my love for basketball blossomed. Until my brother died in a car accident involving a drunk truck driver._

"_Onii-san, please wake up!" My eight-year-old self cried by his hospital bed. "I'll give everything and anything up for you to live!" My voice was hoarse from the crying and screaming that I did. "I'll give up basketball and piano! Kami-sama, let my onii-san live!" I sobbed out. I didn't notice his fingers twitching until I felt a small squeeze on my hands._

"_Onii-san?"_

"_Don't…ever…g-give…basketball…up…Masami." Kaname wheezed each word out with a pained expression on his face._

"_I won't, onii-san! Please, stay with me. Forever and ever." I grabbed onto his hand, holding it gently. _

"_I love you…mom…and dad. Play…basketball for…me. Win and love it," Kaname whispered. His eyes fluttered as darkness slowly claimed him._

"_Nurse! Nurse! Sensei! Someone! Onii-san, stay with me!"_

"ONII-SAN!" I screamed, bolting up in bed. My heart had continued to race, _doku doku_. I glanced over at my alarm clock: 4:51am. I decided to slip out of bed and swap my pajamas for my tight, black shorts and an old basketball jersey. I grabbed my basketball, mp3 player and pointe-toe shoes, heading out to the empty basketball court.

I stuffed the earbuds into my ears and turned my music on, listening to my ballet pieces. I bounced the ball on the court, the loud thumps of the ball hitting the ground echoing in the darkness. Listening to the soft melody playing and feeling the steady rhythm of the ball, I rushed towards the basket, doing a series of turns and fakes. Going onto my twenty-eighth hook, I faltered.

"Shit!" I exclaimed as the ball bounced off the rim. My own voice as a child came back to haunt me: _"Onii-san! Watch me play! I'll be as good as you, if not better, one day!"_ and _"I promise to continue playing basketball forever! I promise I won't let you down."_

I watched silently as the basketball bounced away from me. My hands continued to quiver as I stared down at them.

"I did promise you, onii-san," I whispered. "And I did complete half of it – I led my American team to the finals and we placed first. It's just for Seirin now, huh, onii-san? This was the high school you were supposed to go to…" I trailed off with tears in my eyes. I had already decided to trade my insecurity, my fear, and my naïvetés for boldness, courage, and strength. I closed my eyes and breathed in deep. _Focus, Masamim focus. Kaname-nii is still watching me. I have to pull Seirin through._ I allowed the corners of my mouth to lift up slightly. _Can I actually do it? _I shook my head as if to erase the last thought.** _I have to do it._**

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I'll keep everyone updated like once-twice a week hopefully! Don't forget to leave reviews for me since I love reading them! :D**

**Check out my first fanfic: "Caught in the Act" - Free! Iwatobi Swimming Club. :3**


	7. Streak 2 - Winning

"And it's Seirin High vs. Shūtoku High!" The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium as cheers erupted from the stand.

We stood around Riko, listening to her game start-up.

"Hyūga, you're the shooting guard. Mitobe, center; Kagami, power forward; Masami and Kuroko, do whatever." I held back a laugh as everyone raised their eyebrows. "On Shūtoku's team, there's Midorima-kun, a former member of the Generation of Miracles. Watch out for him," Riko instructed. The five of us nodded our heads.

"Midorima-kun has gotten better. Once he gets the ball, his three-pointers are unstoppable since it always goes in. His arcs are incredibly high." Kuroko spoke up.

"What do you mean, Kuroko?" Hyūga demanded. Our attentions shifted towards the green-haired man wearing glasses on the opposite team.

"His shots never miss the basket." I caught a hint of admiration in Kuroko's simple statement.

"Daijōbu! We'll win if you put your minds to it," Riko exclaimed. "Unless you want to confess naked…" She chuckled maliciously. Everyone's face paled while I looked on curiously.

"Huh? Confess naked?" I asked, curiosity taking over.

"That's right. If we don't win first overall, you have to confess to your love naked! You're included in this bunch." I could see an evil glint in her eyes. The boys began to think perverted thoughts, causing their faces to red while Koganei, Izuki and Tsuchida held the bridges of their noses.

"N-na-naked?!" I squeaked out. "B-but what if y-you don't have a c-cr-crush?"

"As a young maiden, you must have had a crush or two, or even a boyfriend. You'll definitely have a crush, Masami-chan." I gulped loudly, my own face beginning to burn a light pink shade, almost like my hair.

The buzzer sounded, making the five of us walk out onto the court while the others sat on the bench, cheering our names out.

"I'm definitely NOT confessing naked, so we better win today!" I growled out. The four boys turned around and winked at me, giving me a thumbs-up.

"I wouldn't mind if you confessed to me, Masami-chan," Kagami joked. I sent him scampering with a death glare.

"Go die, Bakagami!" I shouted.

* * *

"It's 89 – 94! Shūtoku's in the lead!" The non-stop chattering of the audience began to irritate me during our short break. A vein popped up on my temple.

"I hate it when they keep repeating what we already know…stupid people," I growled angrily.

"Masami-chan, calm down." Riko's hand was on top of my head as she grabbed a fistful of my hair.

"Ow, ow, ow, Riko-chan! My hair!" I wailed. I tried to tug it back down in place, but she didn't release her grip. I knew that Mitobe would help me anytime I called out to him, so I did.

"Mitobe, help me please! My head hurts!" He came over and tapped on Riko's shoulder, prompting her to let go of my wig. I sniffed, pretending to cry with fake tears forming on the corners of my eyes. Watching Riko's face was priceless as horror and guilt came over her face.

"Masami-chan, I'm sorry!" She rearranged my wig perfectly and I pulled away with a naughty grin on my face, chuckling.

"Just kidding." Her face scrunched up and her hands clenched and unclenched.

"Don't hurt me, Riko-chan!" I laughed as I danced around my teammates.

_**(As Masami is playing with Riko)**_

Midorima glanced over at the opposing team with annoyance on his face. Takao noticed his friend's attention was aimed over at Seirin, so he turned his attention towards them to see what captivated Midorima's attention. He saw the coach of Seirin chasing a noticeably short player with reddish hair. Whilst the short red-head was weaving through his teammates laughing, the coach proceeded to follow with her fist shaking at him in the air.

"Are you watching them, Shin-chan?" Takao teased. Midorima's attention snapped to Takao, snorting.

"Of course not, you idiot. Why would I proceed to observe our opponents?" Midorima turned around back to his own team. Takao shrugged his shoulders and continued to watch in fascination at the red-head's carefree attitude, having fun during a break at a basketball game, the Interhigh Prelimeraries, nevertheless.

_What a strange boy he is_, Takao thought.

_His throw is very unique, if not, strange. I've never seen anyone play like that before. Who is he?_ Midorima thought as he turned around. _I must find out_.

* * *

**(Masami's POV)**

I finally got Riko to stop chasing me and I sat down on the bench, slightly panting next to Izuki. He placed his arm around my shoulders and leaned half of his weight onto my shoulders.

"Oi, Izuki, you're too heavy for me." I tried to remove his arm but it really was too heavy – either that or I was too weak.

"Aw, let me rest my arm. I've been out there playing hard for you, my imōto," Izuki joked. I punched his side, causing him to cringe. I quickly looked around to see if anyone from the opposite team heard Izuki.

"Izuki, you baka! What if somebody heard you?" Furious, I snapped at him. _And you haven't even played yet!_ He laughed it off with a wave of his hand, tightening his arm around my shoulders.

"Daijōbu! We'll handle whoever it is!"

"Minna!" Riko shouted. Our heads snapped up and looked at Riko expectantly.

"Kagami, Kuroko and Masami – take a break. Izuki, Hyūga, Mitobe, Koganei and Tsuchida – it's your turn." Riko called the roles out. Kagami, Kuroko, and I slumped down on the bench, upset that we were taken out in the third quarter. The buzzer sounded, signalling that our break was up. I felt tired, more tired than usual. _Hitomi-sensei ran us down yesterday during ballet. Power nap. Yeah, I need a quick power charge._ I closed my eyes, leaning my head on Kagami's arm. _Thank goodness he wiped his sweat away just now. _

"Oi, Masami-chan," Kagami shook me.

"Stop it, baka. I'm just a little tired. Wake me up in five minutes. I just need…a power charge…" I yawned. It was a strange thing that usually worked – my power charges. Once I had a quick nap, I would be back bouncing on my toes.

* * *

**(Kagami's POV)**

What kind of sportsmanship is this?! This girl just decided to lay her head on my arm and fell asleep. Just like that. I should scare her awake, but then she might come after me. I just shudder thinking about how scary Masami can be at times, especially when it has to do something about basketball or ballet. I'll never admit it out loud, but I do admire how strong she is.

I glanced down at her sleeping with a small smile on her face. _What could she be dreaming about?_ I turned my attention back to the game just as Hyūga made a three-pointer. The score went up: 80 – 81. _Yes! Going against the Generation of Miracles isn't too bad at all. They're stronger and better than the other players without a doubt, but not impossible to beat._

* * *

**(Masami's POV)**

"Masami-chan, you're going in for Tsuchida." Riko walked over to the table and called for a substitution.

"Seirin, substitution! 9 to 14!"

I got up from the bench and jogged over to the line, waiting for Tsuchida to swap places with me. He jogged towards me, patting my shoulder. I smiled and nodded my head at his silent encouragement. _My turn now. Watch me, onii-san._

I bounded over to the empty spot of the power forward and got into position. Hyūga glanced back and smiled at me; I gave him a thumbs-up, signalling that I was ready. _Go time._

* * *

"Fujika!" Izuki hurled the ball at me and I caught it as Mitobe became my shield, blocking the opponents from getting close to me. I decided to go for a two-pointer. I ran up towards the basket, neatly avoiding getting the ball stolen. I jumped up with my toes pointed – learned in ballet that if you point your toes, you tend to jump higher – and leaned back until I was parallel with the floor. I threw the ball and watched it soar in the air. Number 4, the tallest member of Shūtoku, jumped in front of me, his goal on blocking the ball. Mitobe immediately ran towards the net, ready for a rebound as Hyūga positioned himself on the opposite side of Mitobe. _My balls haven't been a rebound in over four years, that's not going to happen now._ I growled, watching my ball as it continued to arc towards the hoop. I decided to take a risk.

I ran towards Mitobe as my ball descended.

"Mitobe! In front of the net!" I shouted. Startled, he obeyed my command, moving himself in directly in front of the hoop. Shūtoku's player followed Mitobe, guarding him closely. Just as I saw Number4 bend his knees, ready to jump, I leapt up, placing my hand on Mitobe's shoulder to push myself up higher. With Mitobe's height and my agile movements, I easily jumped higher than the 6'6" opponent, dunking the ball in.

BUZZ! "Seirin 82 - Shūtoku 81!"

I clung onto the hoop, suddenly afraid the let go. The height from the hoop to the floor had a 10 feet distance.

"Baka! Why are you still up there?! Let go of the hoop!" I heard Hyūga's annoyed voice underneath me. I glanced down, still holding on.

"Wahh! Hyūga! Help me! I'm scared of letting go! This is why I don't do dunks!" I wailed, my voice taking on a girly tone. Hyūga sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I would tell you do drop down, but you might injure yourself. I could try and catch you, but I might drop you instead or completely miss you. Mitobe's already walking away so we can't ask him to come back…"

"Just get me down!" I wailed. I felt someone tugging my legs. I craned my head and found the Number4 standing there with my legs in his hands.

"Let go. I'll catch you."

"Eh?"

"Do you want to come down or not?" He asked. Everyone looked on in surprise. I immediately let go of the hoop and felt him catch me princess-style. It was a sight to behold: a scary-looking blonde that towered at 6'6" carrying a petite 5'5" red-head that was just acting like a girl. He lowered me down so that my feet rested on the ground.

"Arigatō!" I flashed him a wide grin and sprinted back to my team who were already lined up on the court. I took my spot in between Hyūga and Kagami who both drilled their knuckled into my head.

"Ow, ow, ow! What was that for?!" I demanded. They both glared at me and I decided to punch Kagami in the side, getting my revenge. Hyūga pushed my head down, to bow to the other team.

"Gēmu o arigatō! (Thanks for the game!)" Both teams bowed their heads. We separated and headed towards the locker room.

"Masami-chan! Get out of here!" The boys realized that I was following behind them with Riko and proceeded to chase the two of us away. I laughed, grabbing Riko's hands and spun around.

"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?"

I stopped and saw the green-haired guy wearing his warm-up suit with the hawks-eyed guy standing next to him.

"What is it?" Riko asked. He turned his gaze onto her.

"Not you. I wanted to speak with the man over here." He pointed to me. "Midorima Shintarō."

I held my hand out to shake his. "Fujika Masa –" I paused, uncertain.

"Interesting name, Fujika Masa." Midorima replied with interest in his voice.

"I'm Takao Kazunari!" The man beside Midorima introduced. Midorima shoved a hand into his face to push him away.

"Fujika-san, where have you played basketball before?"

I froze, afraid that I had been caught. "Erm… ah… well, you see…" I nervously glanced around, looking for someone to help me out.

"He's played in America before." _Kuroko!_ _Thank goodness!_ The bluenette covered for me. Midorima continued to stare at me and I returned his gaze,

"Interesting… I see that now." He turned around, heading back to his teammates. "Takao, come." Takao glanced back and smiled at me, waving before running back to Midorima's side.


	8. Jinxed

"One two three, four five six, seven eight – no!" Hitomi-sensei's hands stopped clapping, pausing the rhythm. Seji and I stopped in our routine, our legs pointing outwards. Sweat slowly dripped off of our foreheads and arms.

"Seji, move your leg out more. More… more… okay, stop there." Hitomi adjusted Seji's leg before moving onto me. I could see the pain in Seji's eyes – she wasn't as flexible as the others.

"Masami, arms straight out. Very good." She tapped on my arm with her bundled up papers, causing my arm to tremble. I immediately froze, afraid she was going to snap at me for my arm. She didn't. I allowed myself to let out a small sigh of relief as I glanced over at Seji. She smiled weakly at me and I flashed a 100-watt grin back.

"Masami!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin when Hitomi called my name.

"H-hai?" I regained my composure, staring straight in the mirrored walls. Hitomi-sensei let out a sigh, waving her hand.

"Take ten minutes." I nearly tripped over my own feet when I heard that – I was eager to take a break. I walked over to the wall where the other girls sat and lowered myself to the floor.

"Fujika-sama," one of the girls called out timidly. "Eto… your cell phone was vibrating in your bag."

"Arigatō, Mei-chan." I smiled at her before crawling to my bag, fishing my phone out.

"_**Kagami Taiga – 2 new messages. Kuroko Tetsuya – 1 new message. Koganei Shinji – 3 new messages. Izuki Shun – 5 new messages." **_The messages blinked on the screen on my Samsung Galaxy that I had gotten in America. I decided to check Kagami's messages.

_**'Riko said that we have practice today. Where are you?'**_ and _**'Yo, Riko's killing us at practice because of you…get your ass moving.'**_ Irritated, my fingers moved fast, typing him a message an hour after his latest message.

_**'Not my fault. Go die then, Bakagami :)'**_ Satisfied, I checked Kuroko's, which said the exact same message, minus the rudeness. Koganei's and Izuki's messages were like spam, repeating the same things multiple times. I sent them both a message: _**'At ballet rehearsal now. Won't be done until 3pm. Been at it since 10am, so stop messaging me, bakas.'**_ I glanced at the clock: 1:28pm. _A gruelling hour and a half left…_

"Everyone, start from scene three!" Hitomi-sensei called out, getting our attentions. I grudgingly pushed myself up from the floor, dropping my phone into my bag.

* * *

"Ohmygosh! Look! Look! There's a couple of HOT guys outside! Ne, ne, who do you think they're waiting for? I would so like the guy with silver eyes – he looks so dreamy. Ooh! No, no. The one with glasses! So nerdy yet cute! Look at their basketball jerseys." The girls crowded around the windows after rehearsal was over.

"Ne, Fujika-sama, look out there! There are some guys out front!" Two of the girls dragged me by surprise towards the window.

"What is it, guys? I'm so beat after practice…" I moaned. Then, the girls decided to push my face into a window. As irritated as I was, I glanced out, spotting a familiar red-head, bluenette, and lots of brown and black-haired guys standing outside.

"What the hell?!" I shrieked. The girls pulled back from me in surprise.

"You know them, Fujika-sama?"

"Like hell I do," I growled, stomping over to the entrance. I forced the doors open and stomped over to them, catching their attentions.

"Hey, Masami-chan!" Like the idiots they were, they waved their hands madly at me, with the exceptions of Hyūga, Kagami, and Kuroko. I glared at them.

"What the hell are you all doing outside my ballet studio?" I stood with my hand on my hip while the other held onto my duffel bag.

"The guys decided to come here and look for you since you didn't reply to our texts," Hyūga said.

I narrowed my eyes at them. "I answered your texts. I had gotten them from Bakagami, Kuroko, Koganei, and Izuki. 11 messages to be exact. How did you find me here anyways?" I demanded.

"It isn't that hard to find you on the internet since you're well-known," Kagami sarcastically replied.

"But Kagami, Masami-chan is famous…" Kuroko countered. Kagami's face held annoyance as he squeezed Kuroko's head in his hand. I smirked at Kagami, knowing that I had him. Then it hit me.

"Wait…did you just say…you looked me up…on the internet?" Flabbergasted, I cocked my head slightly to the side with an incredulous stare.

"…." The seven of them (Kuroko, Kagami, Tsuchida, Hyūga, Mitobe, Koganei, and Izuki) looked down at the ground, shuffling their feet.

"Well…you well…we thought about making an appearance and surprise you since you left us hanging during practice…" Koganei, the brave soul, spoke up.

"It. Was. Not. My. Fault." I enunciate each syllable clearly. "I have ballet practice three times a week; basketball practice three – four times a week with you guys; piano practice every. Fucking. Day." My voice dropped from the usual tone to a menacing one.

"Eto… want to have a late lunch with us?" Kuroko asked. I brightened up at his suggestion.

"Yay! Lunch! Maji Burgers! Maji Burgers!" I grabbed Kuroko's arm and skipped down the sidewalk with him trailing behind me. The guys sighed and followed me down to Maji Burgers, but I could hear their inner thoughts as clear as day, _'How bipolar can she be?'_

* * *

"Twenty burgers and a medium soda." Kagami took out his wallet and paid the dumbstruck cashier. He took his tray and headed over to where the rest of us sat. I ogled at his small mountain, surprised at his big appetite. Everyone else had two burgers, while Kuroko and I had a milkshake. I watched in fascination as Kagami unwrapped a burger and shoved it into his mouth, causing me to laugh. Everyone stared at me like I was mental, but I continued to laugh. Wiping the tears away, I gathered my composure before sipping away at my milkshake with a small smile.

"What was so funny?" Kagami demanded.

"You looked like a chipmunk when you stuff your face like that. It was really funny!" I began to giggle again. Mu laughter was contagious as everyone but Kagami began to chuckle.

"Now that you mentioned it, he seemed more like a chipmunk than Koganei." Hyūga mused.

"Koganei looks like a cheeky cat with his weird smile," Izuki observed. We watched as Kagami's face turn red with embarrassment. Amused, I got up to grab a napkin to wipe up the water droplets that formed on my abandoned milkshake, only to bump into someone tall.

"Oomph!" I fell down on my butt, earning some snickers from my own friends. _Great friends…_ I drily thought.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! Here," a voice said, stretching an arm out towards me.

"Arigatō," I mumbled. I looked up to find a tall blonde who seemed familiar. He narrowed his eyes at me, realizing that I seemed familiar too.

"Ne, haven't I seen you before?" He asked. I froze, afraid to move. A bead of sweat appeared on the side of the head. I shifted my eyes around nervously.

"Ano…I don't think so?"

"Kise-kun." Kuroko's voice called to the blonde's attention. _KISE?! The one from the team that we had beaten during the practice match?_

"Kurokocchi!" Kise bounded over to Kuroko's table, leaving me standing there. It was then that I noticed a black-haired guy standing in front of me. He glanced at me nervously before asking, "Are you alright?" I nodded my head and walked over to my table again, taking a seat next to Izuki.

"Ano…who exactly is Kise?" I slightly leaned into Izuki to whisper in his ear after noticing almost everyone in the fast-food restaurant was staring at the blonde.

"Kise Ryouta – he's a member of the Generation of Miracles, the same like Midorima. Kise's also a model." Izuki whispered back. Kise's golden eyes caught sight of us whispering and leaned over to me.

"What are we whispering over here?" I nearly jumped out of my seat after he spooked me.

"Kise-kun, stop scaring Masami-chan." Kuroko's monotone voice called out.

"Aww, Kurokocchi! I just wanted to know what this pretty maiden was doing with a bunch of sweaty basketball players like you guys. No offense to you, Kurokocchi!" Kise's whiny voice annoyed me. A vein popped up on my forehead.

"Well, she's a basketball player with us!" Koganei proudly exclaimed. Time stopped as Kise and his friend processed Koganei's comment through their brain.

"…." The Seirin team glared daggers at Koganei, who was too dense to notice the daggers piercing his heart. Me, on the other hand, was already imagining his death by my hands. I forcefully kicked Koganei in the shin and quickly stood up.

"I gotta go." I quickly grabbed my duffel bag and nearly sprinted out of Maji Burgers. _Of course, Koganei would be the first one to blabber my secret… It's a boys' team for heaven's sake! A girl can't join, and of course, Japan doesn't have a fuckin' girls' team anywhere!_ My head almost exploded with the anger and frustration that were pent up in my brain. _Mā ī, whatever happens happen. But I'll force my way if anyone opposes. I'll still complete our promise, onii-san. _A small smile appeared on my face as I skipped home to an angry father who demanded to know where I was out all night.

"You still have piano practice! Not to mention, your concerto competition is next Friday, meaning you have tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday!"

I nodded my head, _I already know this…_

"And, you have a ballet performance for the entire Japan to see in four months! The prime minister, or whoever it is, will be coming to watch you!"

_ I know, I know…_ I waited until my father finished his rant before trudging up the stairs. _Life… what else could happen?_ Without knowing it, I just jinxed myself.


	9. Identity Revealed

I stepped out of the supermarket, holding five heavy grocery bags.

"Guys are so useless…" I muttered, trying to shield my eyes from the bright, burning sun. "They say that they'll help you carry the bags, but nooo. They leave you hanging, making you go shopping for the whole team cause you're the only girl. Riko takes advantage of being a coach." I ranted to myself, earning weird looks from passers. I sighed, turning around and headed back to Seirin where the others were having their basketball practice. I decided to opt out early from Hitomi-sensei's five hours of gruelling practice for a fun three hours of sweaty practice with boys. A dark cloud passed overhead, and I groaned.

"Oh. My. Freakin. Goodness. Really? Really?!" I quickly headed for a covered area where I wouldn't get wet. I made it just in time as it began to pour.

"Wahh! Riko! Kagami! Kuroko! Why did all of you send me out here if you knew it was going to rain?" I wailed, pretty pissed. A low chuckle captured my attention as a familiar blonde and ebony-haired guy stood next to me, also taking cover from the pouring rain.

"You're that girl that was with them from last week!" The blonde commented. I rolled my eyes.

"Duh." He looked taken back, surprised.

"What?" I snapped, not being in a happy-go-lucky mood right now.

"Eto… is it a possibility that you don't know who I am?" He pointed a finger at himself with curiosity written all over his face. The ebony-haired guy snickered, earning a pout from the blonde.

"Who are you again?" I asked without any real interest. I shifted my feet to and fro, ready to sprint in the rain.

"I'm Kise Ryōta! I'm the basketball player from Kaijō High! The Seirin members defeated us in a practice match. You might know about that since you know the Seirin team. I played against you once. You might remember. You know…this is like déjà vu. You asked me about my name since you didn't know who I was…" He prompted. I realized that he was right.

"OH! You're that guy who played with me once, a while ago before we played against Kaijō High!" _Shit._ I clammed up, forgetting that he knew me as Fujika Masami who played once late at night; and as Fujika Masa who played in the practice match and won. "You're that guy who was at Maji Burger's last week too. Ne, I forgot your name." I nodded my chin towards the black-haired guy.

He glanced in my direction but quickly looked away with a faint pink blush covering his cheeks. "I-I'm K-Ka-Kasamatsu Yu-Yukio." I had to hide a laugh at his stuttering.

"Fujika Masami." I held out a hand and he nervously shook it. I peered at the shy boy. "Ne, you're not…afraid of girls…are you?"

"Eh?!" Kasamatsu quickly drew his hand away as if I burned him. "N-n-no." Kise laughed.

"This guy is so shy that he gets mad every time I have a female fan." Kise casually slung an arm over Kasamatsu's shoulder before getting punched in the head.

"Don't treat your captain like that, you baka!" Kasamatsu roared. I noted his quick change in behavior and came up with the conclusion of him being scared of girls. I sighed again, softer this time.

"Well, I gotta run or else the guys will make me run laps with them…" I grumbled. "And they damn well know that I have to stay slim for ballet…" I hoisted the grocery bags up higher, about to sprint out into the rain.

"Wait!" Kise grabbed my shoulder, making me stumble backwards.

"What now?" I growled.

"Kasamatsu and I will walk with you!" Kise eagerly offered, already taking four grocery bags from me and handing two to the blushing teen.

"You baka!" Kasamatsu furiously whispered.

"Whatever, just hurry up. I have to run to Seirin." I took off in a sprint, leaving the two of them behind.

* * *

"Masami-chan! What took you so – " Riko paused. "…long?" The gym door was pushed open, and I was leaning against the door, soaked to the bones with two boys panting next to me.

"You guys should all pay me back for this. I had to run in the damn rain with these two guys." I stomped over to Riko, leaving a trail of puddles. I thrust the bags of groceries at her and swiped a towel off the bench, not caring if it was already used.

"Masami-chan, you realized that you brought back two outsiders," Kuroko's soft voice reached me. My eyes slowly widened in shock and realization.

"Shit!" I shrieked out.

"Kurokocchi, don't treat me like a stranger!" Kise whined as he came closer.

"Oh well, the cat's definitely out of the bag this time…I'll be damned if they don't figure it out." Riko sighed. "We still have an hour and a half of practice. Masami-chan, go get changed. Don't bother with the…uh…hair." Everyone stopped practicing and stared at Riko in disbelief.

"You have got to be kidding. What if she can't play? I mean…you know." Hyūga demanded. Riko proceeded to shrug her shoulders, making my heart drop down into my stomach. Koganei, Izuki, Tsuchida, Furihata, Kawahara, and Fukuda protested loudly, while Mitobe protested with his eyes and facial expressions.

"Whatever you see here, Kise-kun and Kasamatsu-kun, don't you dare tell a single soul. Or else…" Riko didn't need to complete her threat as the two newcomers gulped loudly.

"H-hai."

"You better be right about this, Riko-chan." I whispered as I passed by her.

* * *

I emerged from the girls' locker room wearing a red jersey from my middle school years and black shorts with black sneakers streaked with red. It was our usual 5v6 team of Kagami, Kuroko, me, Hyūga and Izuki against Mitobe, Koganei, Tsuchida, Furihata, Kawahara and Fukuda. I had managed to swipe the ball away from Koganei and made my way down the court. I saw Kuroko from the corner of my eye and I threw the ball backwards toward him.

"Wha-?" Tsuchida clucked his tongue but he continued to stay on me. My agility has never failed me before. The second Tsuchida's attention was focused on somewhere else, I vanished.

"Izuki!" I shouted out. Tsuchida's face paled when he realized where I was. Izuki grinned and passed the ball to Kuroko, who passed it to me. I dribbled up to the three-point line and threw the ball.

"Get it!" Koganei shouted. Mitobe jumped up for the ball, just missing it by a centimetre. WHOOSH.

"Blue to Yellow: 67 – 52." Riko announced.

"Yeah!" I fist pumped into the air. I caught Kuroko smiling at me and I grinned.

* * *

(Kise's POV)

Somehow, her moves seemed really familiar. I couldn't figure out where I've seen them before, but I know that I have. I played against her that one night. That's all I can remember about her. The way her pink hair moved; her limbs; everything about her captivated me. I want to know more about her. Fujika…Fujika… I know there was another boy on the team with the name of Fujika too… or was it Fujikota? I don't know…

"Ne," I called out, catching their attentions. "Don't you guys have another player? He's short and is really good too." They all froze and gaped at me. Kasamatsu glanced at me.

"Now that you mentioned it, Kise, I think I remember him too." My captain murmured.

* * *

(Masami's POV)

_Aw, shit. Please tell me he didn't really just ask._ I nervously glanced at my captain and coach. I could see that they were lost for words. Koganei, the stupid boy, spoke up.

"Yeah, well you see, Masami-chan is – " Mitobe had placed his hand over Koganei's mouth, silencing him. A sudden look of realization flickered through Koganei's eyes as he realized what he was about to do.

"Cat's outta the bag, Masami-chan," Riko sighed. Hyūga shot her a glare but she ignored him. "Will you two not tell anyone about this please? People won't take it well when they figure out that they were beaten by a girl, especially at the Interhigh Preliminaries." I saw Kise's golden eyes and Kasamatsu black eyes widen in surprise. I trudged over to my duffle bag that was sitting on the bench and grabbed the red wig. Flipping my hair upside down, I began to pin bobby pins, attaching the red wig to my light pink hair. I ruffled the wig up, so it looked like it was natural. Turning around to face Kise and Kasamatsu, I placed a hand on my hip, cocking my head to the side.

"So…I'm Fujika. Nice to meet you."


	10. Resolution

It was silent. Kise and Kasamatsu didn't blink or move at all. I sighed and began to take the wig off.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're that red-head that basically dominated the practice game?!" Kise shrilled. I closed my eyes before answering him.

"Yeah. It was a team effort though that won the game. It wasn't just me." I tossed the wig back into the bag and walked over to where everyone stood.

"You know, you have potential to become a Generation of Miracles. Where were you at in middle school?"

"In America. I came back just before school started this year." I replied. Understanding flashed in Kise's golden eyes.

"That explains it."

"What was your name again?" Kasamatsu asked, agitated. It was like he had figured something out, but it didn't seem right at the same time.

"Fujika Masami."

"You were in _Basketball Monthly_! I remember you now!" He shouted excitedly. My own teammates looked shocked at the news.

"You're that prima ballerina from America! Number one in the country!" Kise gasped. _Ok, now that was weird._ Everyone gave Kise a stare that seemed to question him and his hobbies.

"What?" He asked. "Oh! No! I only knew that since my older sister loves reading those kinds of magazines!" Kise held his hands up in defence.

"You're weird, Kise-kun." Kuroko's monotone voice spoke out what we were all thinking.

"Wahh! Kurokochhi! Don't be mean to me!" Kise wailed.

"Anyways, why do you have to dress as a boy?" Kasamatsu asked. He stared at me, as if he was mentally dissecting me. Riko and my teammates swivelled their heads, watching me and Kasamatsu like a tennis match.

"No girls' team here in Japan."

"Couldn't you have formed your own team?"

"It wouldn't be official then."

"Why not?"

"For a captain, you're almost as dense as Koganei." Koganei perked up hearing his name.

"Thank you!" He beamed. Riko slapped his head, annoyed.

"That wasn't a compliment from Masami-chan, baka."

Kasamatsu picked up where he had left off. "Why not?"

"Japan has a weird thing about girls taking over. Not that I'm against it or for it, but either way, a girls' basketball team is out of the question. People are thinking that it is a man's sport, but it isn't. I also made a promise to make a team the best that Japan has ever seen. I'm going to make it come true," I declared.

"What kind of promise was it?" Kise jumped in on the conversation.

"A promise with my brother."

"What a bastard! Letting his sister do all the work for him!" Kise shook his head disappointedly. I was mad. He had just called my brother a bastard. I stomped up to Kise and slapped him across the face. Everyone stared at me in shock, but I didn't care.

"The brother that you just called a bastard? He's dead. Buried in the ground. My only brother! He loved basketball more than anything and taught me how to play. He was the only one who loved me since Mama died! Don't you dare to speak about him like that!" Each sentence that I had spoken made my voice rise higher until I was screaming. Kise looked at me with sad eyes, flaring my anger out more.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know, Masami-chan." Kasamatsu took Kise by the arm and they retreated from the gym, leaving me and the team alone.

Riko clapped her hands getting our attentions. "Practice is over, minna. Go home and rest for school tomorrow."

* * *

My fingers slammed the piano keys down. It was a miracle that my anger still could make the music beautiful. Tears slowly trickled down my face as I continued to play. The frustration slowly turned into resolution at the end of my last note. I gently hit the key and pressed the pedal, sustaining the note. I closed the top of the piano and shuffled off to my bed.

_All that's left for me is to win the Winter Cup and then Seirin will be Japan's number one, onii-san. I can finally join you and Mama soon, ne? There's nothing left for me here anymore. Papa doesn't need me here either._ My eyes slowly closed, allowing me to fall asleep into the welcoming darkness.

* * *

_"Why did you say those things just now, Masami?"_

_ "Onii-san? Why are you here?"_

_ "I'm in your dream right now. Answer me Masami. Why did you say that you didn't have anything left?" I can tell that onii-san's a bit angry right now. I don't want you to be angry, onii-san!_

_ "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, onii-san!" I cried out. He smiled softly._

_ "I'm not mad, just a bit…worried. I'm worried about you, i__mōto." _

_ "I'm almost done working with the high school team that you were supposed to go to! They're turning out great, onii-san! I just really missed you and Mama, you know? I'm still dancing and playing the piano. It's only me and Seji-chan that are auditioning for the lead part in ballet this year. I'm still prima though." I beamed a smile up at my idol, showing him that I was still okay. Kaname chuckled, ruffling my pink hair. _

_ "I'm very proud of you, Masami. Keep up the good work." He continued to smile, but his eyes turned sad. "Don't do anything reckless after the Winter Cup, ne? Don't say that you'll be joining me and Mama soon." I recalled the words I had said earlier and shook my head._

_ "I won't, onii-san. I promise."_

* * *

**Ooh snap! Masami totally chewed Kise out! Anyways... don't hate me guys! I was in the hospital two weeks ago for my knee surgery :P Tore my ACL in soccer... so yeah. And I still need to update my other fanfics too, but I felt like doing this one first. I know this one was pretty short, but bear with me! :)**


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